Whirlpool game



atented Mar. 31, 1931 Niven STATES PATENT OFFICE r s L. 'rnmLn-s .AZND mans :11. cannot, or NEW YORK; 11. Y.

wnmnroon GAME Application filed lay a, 1929. Serial No. 359,746.

This invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in games and has more particular reference to a novel whirl-pool ge. s

The invention has for an objectthe provision of a game in which a ball is driven in a whirl-pool provided with openings of difl'erent prize values in the base of the whirlpool to permit the ball to fall thru and requiring skill of the player to cause the ball to seek the higher prize openings,'the Whirl at its center to have a depressible plate arranged to ring-a hell upon the resting of a.

hall thereon and to constitute the highest prize, the openings to'be surrounded by inclined base portions arranged adjustably for changing the ease with which a ball may enter.

For further comprehension of the inven tion, and of the object and advantages thereoi, reference will be A had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. w

in the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure j Fig. 1 1s a plan view of a device constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 with the top partition removed. 7

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device.

Fig. i is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. but dis-.

closing a modification.

Fig. 6 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 2.

I Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view as though talren on the line 8-8 of Fi 1, but disclosing a modified form of the evice.

.Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 2, disclosing a further modified form I of the device.

'lhe reference numeral 10 indicates generally thesides of a frame having a base 11. This trarne is supported in an inclined position by legs '12 having rubber feet 13. The

angle of inclination provides that the lowest portion of the frame is at the front and rises to the rear. 1

A partition 14 is supported within the frame and above the base 11.,and commences at a short distance from the front ofthe frame and terminates at the rear. A guide way.15 is formed upon the partition and starts with a straight portion 16 arranged along one of the sides of the frame and terminates at the rear of the frame in a whirlpoolasindicated by reference numeral 17. At the lowest portion of each of the turns of the whirl-pool-an aperture 18 is formed in the partition 14.- so that a ball moving along in the path of the whirl-pool may fall thru' any one of these apertures upon the bottom 11.

At the center of the whirl-pool the partition is formed with a star opening closed by a star plate or other shaped plate 19. This star plate is supported upon a bracket 20 pivotally mounted on the bottom of the partition 14 and normally held in a. position so that the star plate is in the same plane as the plane of the partition by a spring 21. The

racket 20 is formed with a contactarm 22 engageable with stationary contacts 23 in an electric circuit 24 includinga bell 25 and batteries 26. The bell and batteries and stationary contacts are all supported upon the bottomside of the partition 14. 1

Baflle plates 27' are mounted upon the bottom 11 and are arranged to direct ballsfalL ing thru the openings 18 to the front of the device and against a gate 28. Referencenumoral 29 in Fig. 1 indicates a coin slot which may be formed in the partition14, and 30' a plunger slidably arranged in the partition.

A means may be provided, said means being hereinafter described, so that when a com is placed in the coin slot and the plunger depressed, the gate 28 may move for permitting all or a certain'number of the balls held. between the bafile plates to empty into the front portion ofthe frame,which, is reachable by a player, such 'a portion being indicated b reference numeral 31. The partition 14 in e vicinity of the apertures 18 is inclined as indicated by reference numeral 32 in Fig. 4 so as to oflferresistance to a ball passing around the whirl-pool for entering the openings due to the lowered portion of the partition. Inertia will tend to cause the ball'to pass any of the specific openings.

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 5, the partition 14' has been illustrated with a flexible portion 33 surrounding each of the openings 18. A lever 34 is connected with the flexible portion and pivotally mounted as at 35 upon the main portion of the partition 14. The rear end of the lever. 34 is engageable between any of the teeth to a rack 36 pivotally mounted as at 37 on the bottom of the partition 14 and urged into engagemenfiwith the lever 34 by a coaxial spring 38. The rack 36 may be coaxially moved to free the free end of the lever and the inclination of the flexible portion 33 surrounding the opening 18 may be adjusted for changing the speed qualifications of a passing ball for entering the openings18.

In operation of the device a player receives all or a certain number of the balls contained between the baflie plates 27 and normally holds these balls in the reachable portion of the frame indicated'by reference numeral'31.

He then takes one of the balls at a time and throws or otherwise causes the ball to passalong the guideway 16 and thru the whirl 17. Depending upon his skill or luck the ball will enter the higher prize valued openings 18.

moval of the coins. A spring 49 is coam'ally mounted on the-pivot of the bell crank 46 and normally urges oneend of the bell crank into a niche formed in a disc 51 attached upon the gate 28. The gate 28 isrotatively mounted in the bottom 11 as at 52 and is provided with a plurality of arms 53 against which the balls between the baflie plates 27 rest. The bottom 11 is provided withprojecting arms 54 interengaged with the arms 53 of the gate.

In operation, when a coin is dropped into the slot 29 and then the plunger 30 depressed, the links 40 are moved into an expanded position forcing the coin laterally so as to move the bell crank 46 free from the disc 51. The coin then falls thru the offset portion 47 of the chute into the coin box. When the bell crank 46 releases the disc 51, the balls of the device indicated by reference numeral 55 cause the gate to revolve and permits a certain amount of the balls to enter the accessible portion 31 of the device. After the gate 28 has made a complete revolution it will be latched in a stationary condition by the coaxial spring 49 causing the bell crank 46 to reengage in the niche 50.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 8, a partition 14' has been illustrated which is formed with a whirl-pool 17 the turns of which gradually rise from the outer to the inner turns approximating the shape of a conical helical spring. When a ball is caused The Player keeps P y g until all of i to'roll along the guideway 15, it necessarily balls are used and then the value of his prize is computed according to his score. If the ball passes thru the entire whirl-pool and enters its center it may rebound out from the center or it may assume a position of rest' upon the star plate 19. ,If it does the star plate will be depressed against the actionof the spring 21 and close the circuit thru the bell 25 which will ring and indicate that the player has scored the highest prize value.

' The lunger 30 has a stifi flexible stem 39 pivotal y connected at its bottom end to the pivot point of a apair of pivoted links 40. A spring 41' norm ly urges the plunger into a raised position. The outer end of one of the links 40 pivotally connects with a standard 42 and the outer end of the other lever engages within a coin chute 43 in communication with the said coin slot 29. This coin chute has an offset lower portion indicated by numeral 47. A coin 45 is shown disposed within the coin slot 29 and resting against the bottom of the upper portion of the coin chute. v

A bell crank 46 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and one of its ends engages into the coin chute for normally holding the coin 45 in a stationary position. A coin box 44 is attached to the bottom 11 and is in line with the coin chute. The box 44 is provided with a door 48 for permitting a remust rise as it runs along the inner turns of the whirl-pool. This arrangement requires greater skill on the part of the player of the device for reaching the apertures 18 having higher prize values.

In Fig. 9, a horizontal gate wheel 28 with arms 53 has been shown rotatively mounte upon the bottom 11. Bafiie plates 27 have been illustrated for directing balls between a pair of arms 53 of the gate wheel so as to rotate the gate wheel in one direction. One of the arms of the gate wheel is provided with a rigid extension 56 engageable bythe bell crank 46" for holding the gate wheel in a locked condition. When a coin is inserted in the device and the plunger 30 depressed the bell crank46 will be momentarily moved forreleasing the gate wheel.

Balls 55 rolling from between the bafiie ball acts against the arms, the resilient extensions 57 bend and permit the wheel to rotate a partial turn until the next resilient extension acts against the bell crank. In this manner the number of balls permitted to pass the gate wheel is controlled by the number of arms that the gate wheel is formed with.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, and the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirl-pool.

2. A whirl-pool gamedevice, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway commencing with a straight portion and terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, and the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirl-pool.

3. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, and the partition being formed with openings at points along the whirl-pool.

4. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, and the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirlpool, said partition commencing a short d15- tance from the front of the frame, and battle plates upon the bottom of the frame to direct balls which fall thru the openings to the front of the frame.

5. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, the partition being formed With openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirl-pool, flexible inserts mounted in the partition to surround the openings, and means for causing said inserts to assume various bent conditions to require different speed qualifications of a passing ball for entering the openings.

6. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to'the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirl-pool, said partition commencing a short distance from the front of the frame, baflie plates upon the bottom of the frame to diect balls which fall thru the openings to the front of the frame, and means for holding the balls between the baflie plates, permitting a limited passing of the balls as controlled by a coin.

7. A whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl pool on the partition, and the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirlpool, the turns of the whirl-pool gradually rising from the outer to the inner ones approximating the shape of a conical helical sprin t 8. whirl-pool game device, comprising a frame having a bottom member supported at an inclination from the front upwards to the rear, a flat partition in the frame and above the bottom member, a guideway terminating in a whirl-pool on the partition, the partition being formed with openings at the lowest point of each of the turns of the whirl-pool, flexible inserts mounted in the partition to surround the openings, and means for causing said inserts to assume various bent conditions to require difierent sped qualifications of a passing ball for entering the openings, comprising a lever connected with each insert, and means for holding the lever in various fixed adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

CHARLES L. PHILLIPS. INGLIS M. UPPERCU. 

